ESCAPE Projecthttp://www.gnss-escape.eu
European Safety Critical Applications Positioning EngineTue, 19 Mar 2019 09:28:06 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.4Status of the project – March 2019 update (Press release)http://www.gnss-escape.eu/status-of-the-project-march-2019-update-press-release/
http://www.gnss-escape.eu/status-of-the-project-march-2019-update-press-release/#respondTue, 19 Mar 2019 09:25:23 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1432Safety-critical positioning for autonomous driving: with ESCAPE the first fully integrated device is on its way. Autonomous driving is the hot topic of todays’ mobility and transportation world. Safety is the most fundamental requirement and, at the same time, the greatest concern about autonomous driving applications. The major perceived concern about autonomous driving is safety, […]

Autonomous driving is the hot topic of todays’
mobility and transportation world. Safety is the most fundamental requirement
and, at the same time, the greatest concern about autonomous driving applications.
The major perceived concern about
autonomous driving is safety, at all levels of the technology and of the human
interaction. In this context, the localization technology is a key element, as
it enables the navigation of autonomous vehicles when operating without human
supervision. To achieve this goal, the localization technology has to be
designed from the beginning for safety.

The ESCAPE GNSS Engine board in its final packaging (courtesy of FICOSA)

The design of each component on the EGE, its
development, integration and manufacturing has followed stringent
safety-oriented criteria, which encompass automotive-grade Safety Integrity
Level (ASIL) procedures and GNSS-oriented Required Navigation Performance
(RNP).

The solution leverages on the Global Navigation
Satellite Systems, including the Galileo constellation, thanks to the new STM TESEO APP chipset, which supports
ASIL-B platforms. This is complemented with intelligent automotive cameras and
low-cost inertial sensors, vehicle odometry, lane-level navigation maps,
governed by GMV’s integration
algorithms. The GMV’s real-time Precise Point Positioning service, as well as
the use of highly precise maps, are the keys for enhanced
accuracy, enabled via a high-speed connectivity of the vehicle. The
unique feature of such a multi-layer design is the estimation in real-time of
the integrity level associated
with the location estimates, which is also the fundamental element for safety-oriented navigation.

The ESCAPE GNSS Engine is assembled and
manufactured by FICOSA and will be validated
through an extensive test campaign on-board of a Renault’s
electric car.

The first accuracy results obtained from the GNSS-only positioning algorithms in a
medium-multipath propagation scenario have offered a promising 0.3 m RMS
horizontal accuracy in static and 0.5 m in dynamic conditions.

The EGE-equipped car at the Innovation Center of the University of Technology of Compiègne, during a session of validation tests.

Other test sessions are expected for March, July and
September 2019 and are intended to validate, respectively:

The
integrated positioning algorithms (March 2019)

The
provision of integrity information through the computation of Protection Levels
(July 2019)

The
robustness of the integrated approach in urban and suburban scenarios
(September 2019)

The project is also planning a final demo at the Université de Technologie de
Compiègne (UTC), in France, in which a test car will show its
enhanced/autonomous driving capabilities enabled by the EGE board. Autonomous
maneuvers will be demonstrated along a controlled circuit in the UTC campus,
while enhanced ADAS functionalities will be demonstrated along public urban
streets in Compiègne. The final demo will be organized in late
November/December 2019.

The ESCAPE project’s most recent achievements
will be also presented at the 2019 edition of the Munich Satellite Navigation
Summit at the Session 8, dedicated to “THE ROLE OF GNSS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF
AUTOMATIC DRIVING”.

]]>http://www.gnss-escape.eu/status-of-the-project-march-2019-update-press-release/feed/0Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelonahttp://www.gnss-escape.eu/mobile-world-congress-2019-in-barcelona/
http://www.gnss-escape.eu/mobile-world-congress-2019-in-barcelona/#respondTue, 26 Feb 2019 09:20:51 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1422ESCAPE coordinator J. G. Sorano from Ficosa is at the Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, to present the ESCAPE GNSS Engine – EGE at the GSA –European GNSS Agency booth (8.0H15). Would you like to meet us? It’s easy! We will be at the GSA stand on: 25th February: from 11.00AM to 03.00PM […]

]]>http://www.gnss-escape.eu/mobile-world-congress-2019-in-barcelona/feed/0ESCAPE at the Mobile World Congress 2019http://www.gnss-escape.eu/escape-at-the-mobile-world-congress-2019/
Thu, 07 Feb 2019 11:24:58 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1416ESCAPE will participate in the Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. This year the MWC will take place from February the 25th to the 28th. Our team will be hosted by the European GNSS Agency at the stand 8.0H15 together with other innovative Horizon 2020 projects exploiting the EGNSS technology. The team from FICOSA, […]

ESCAPE will participate in the Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. This year the MWC will take place from February the 25th to the 28th. Our team will be hosted by the European GNSS Agency at the stand 8.0H15 together with other innovative Horizon 2020 projects exploiting the EGNSS technology.

The team from FICOSA, the ESCAPE coordinator, will be available to present the ESCAPE GNSS Engine – EGE and to provide to the MWC users all the information about the ESCAPE approach to autonomous driving.

Would you like to meet us? It’s easy! We will be at the GSA stand on:

25th February: from 11.00AM to 03.00PM

26th February: from 11.00AM to 01.00PM

27th February: from 01.00PM to 03.00PM and from 05.00PM to 07.00PM.

If you need further information or if you want to book an appointment, please drop us an email at info(at)gnss-escape.eu.

]]>Second Issue of the ESCAPE Newsletter is online!http://www.gnss-escape.eu/second-issue-escape-newsletter-online/
http://www.gnss-escape.eu/second-issue-escape-newsletter-online/#respondWed, 12 Dec 2018 08:50:00 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1403Click on the picture to go to the second issue of our Newsletter! ESCAPE is a three-year action aimed at developing and integrating a safety-critical positioning engine for Level 4 autonomous driving. In this second issue of the newsletter we talk about the status of the project and about the step forward done by the […]

ESCAPE is a three-year action aimed at developing and integrating a safety-critical positioning engine for Level 4 autonomous driving. In this second issue of the newsletter we talk about the status of the project and about the step forward done by the ESCAPE project, with a focus on localisation integrity.

]]>http://www.gnss-escape.eu/second-issue-escape-newsletter-online/feed/0ESCAPE quoted by GSA at the EU Space Week in Marseillehttp://www.gnss-escape.eu/escape-quote-gsa-eu-space-week-marseille/
http://www.gnss-escape.eu/escape-quote-gsa-eu-space-week-marseille/#respondWed, 05 Dec 2018 14:30:57 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1353Today, December the 5th, Fiammetta Diani from the European GNSS Agency – GSA made a very interesting presentation about the Galileo Market Uptake, showing the most recent results in term of market penetration. ESCAPE was quoted as an example of EU/GSA funded project that is delivering a tangible result in the automotive sector. A photo […]

]]>Today, December the 5th, Fiammetta Diani from the European GNSS Agency – GSA made a very interesting presentation about the Galileo Market Uptake, showing the most recent results in term of market penetration. ESCAPE was quoted as an example of EU/GSA funded project that is delivering a tangible result in the automotive sector. A photo of the presentation is available in the Tweet embedded above. Autonomous driving, integrity and high-precision positioning are among the hot topics of this year EU Space Week edition.

The European Space Week is a relevant conference dedicated to the European space programmes, aiming to connect business, policy-makers, international experts and space application user communities. It is taking place in Marseille, France, from 3 to 6 December 2018. Enrique Dominguez from GMV and Emmanuel Stawiarski from Renault represent ESCAPE at the round tables focused on Autonomous Driving applications. The agenda is available at this link.

]]>http://www.gnss-escape.eu/escape-quote-gsa-eu-space-week-marseille/feed/0Meet ESCAPE at the European Space Week in Marseillehttp://www.gnss-escape.eu/meet-escape-european-space-week-marseille/
http://www.gnss-escape.eu/meet-escape-european-space-week-marseille/#respondFri, 30 Nov 2018 14:10:16 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1348The European Space Week is a relevant conference dedicated to the European space programmes, aiming to connect business, policy-makers, international experts and space application user communities. It will take place in Marseille, France, on 3-6 December 2018. Enrique Dominguez from GMV and Emmanuel Stawiarski from Renault will represent ESCAPE at the round tables focused on […]

The European Space Week is a relevant conference dedicated to the European space programmes, aiming to connect business, policy-makers, international experts and space application user communities. It will take place in Marseille, France, on 3-6 December 2018. Enrique Dominguez from GMV and Emmanuel Stawiarski from Renault will represent ESCAPE at the round tables focused on Autonomous Driving applications. The agenda is available at this link.

At the European Space Week plenary session, participants will learn more about the state of the art of Galileo, EGNOS and Copernicus, with input from keynote speakers and high-level officials, including Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska, GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides, French Space Agency (CNES) President Jean-Yves Le Gall and many more.

Parallel sessions dedicated to Smart Cities, Sustainable Land Management, Interconnectivity, Marine and Maritime, Infrastructure Management, Security and Defence will examine how European businesses, entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized companies can harness the power of space technology to build the innovative applications and services needed in these areas.

]]>http://www.gnss-escape.eu/meet-escape-european-space-week-marseille/feed/0Urban Autonomous Mobility – What role for standards?http://www.gnss-escape.eu/urban-autonomous-mobility-role-standards/
http://www.gnss-escape.eu/urban-autonomous-mobility-role-standards/#respondWed, 21 Nov 2018 16:02:32 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1342Our colleague Miguel Ortiz from IFSTTAR took part to the Urban Autonomous Mobility – What role for standards? stakeholder workshop as representative of ESCAPE. The event was held today, November the 21st, in Brussels. This one day workshop represented a great opportunity to discuss both the impact of autonomous driving in various fields and the […]

]]>Our colleague Miguel Ortiz from IFSTTAR took part to the Urban Autonomous Mobility – What role for standards? stakeholder workshop as representative of ESCAPE. The event was held today, November the 21st, in Brussels. This one day workshop represented a great opportunity to discuss both the impact of autonomous driving in various fields and the need of standardization activities on the development of such technology.The agenda is available clicking on the following picture.

]]>http://www.gnss-escape.eu/urban-autonomous-mobility-role-standards/feed/0ESCAPE’s Critical Deign Review completedhttp://www.gnss-escape.eu/escapes-critical-deign-review-completed/
http://www.gnss-escape.eu/escapes-critical-deign-review-completed/#respondTue, 30 Oct 2018 15:54:24 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1333On October the 30th the whole ESCAPE consortium met at the GMV premises in Madrid, Spain, to complete the Critical Design Review – CDR and to discuss the status of the project. The meeting was intended to review all the design aspects of the ESCAPE GNSS Engine – EGE platform, to consequently identify the consolidated […]

]]>On October the 30th the whole ESCAPE consortium met at the GMV premises in Madrid, Spain, to complete the Critical Design Review – CDR and to discuss the status of the project. The meeting was intended to review all the design aspects of the ESCAPE GNSS Engine – EGE platform, to consequently identify the consolidated architecture and initiate the validation phase (the projects activities are described in the Status of the project page). The project’s partners discussed about the test campaign and the preliminary results. In fact, The Second Integration Week took place recently (15-19 October 2018) in France, hosted at the UTC – Université de Technologie de Compiègne‘s facilities. The integration tests encompassed new releases of the algorithms and middleware software, as well as the use of a new camera model, the one used in the final platform. Beyond the functional tests, the engineers completed the performance results obtained so far on a test vehicle. The tests are going on well and the first data shows that the EGE platform is performing as expected. The other hot topic of the day was the position location integrity for autonomous driving applications.

]]>http://www.gnss-escape.eu/escapes-critical-deign-review-completed/feed/0The Second Integration Week is taking place in Francehttp://www.gnss-escape.eu/second-integration-week-taking-place-france/
http://www.gnss-escape.eu/second-integration-week-taking-place-france/#respondThu, 18 Oct 2018 09:49:22 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1322The Second Integration Week is taking place this week (15-19 October 2018) in France, hosted at the UTC – Université de Technologie de Compiègne‘s facilities. The integration tests encompass new releases of the algorithms and middleware software, as well as the use of a new camera model, the one used in the final platform. Beyond […]

]]>The Second Integration Week is taking place this week (15-19 October 2018) in France, hosted at the UTC – Université de Technologie de Compiègne‘s facilities. The integration tests encompass new releases of the algorithms and middleware software, as well as the use of a new camera model, the one used in the final platform. Beyond the functional tests, the engineers are completing the performance results obtained so far on a test vehicle, a full-electric Renault Zoe (see photo 1). Our team from FICOSA, GMV, Renault and UTC (see photo 2) is working hard to test the whole system!

During the First Integration Week in July 2018, FICOSA, GMV and Renault teams met with the UTC scientists at the UTC Innovation Center for a full suite of tests of the interfaces of the hardware and software prototypes of the ESCAPE GNSS Engine – EGE board mounted on our test vehicle (see photo 3).

These tests are extremely important to expose the EGE prototype to various operational conditions, including static and dynamic vehicle (see photo 4), open sky, sub-urban and urban scenarios.

]]>http://www.gnss-escape.eu/second-integration-week-taking-place-france/feed/0ESCAPE successfully presented at ION GNSS+ 2018http://www.gnss-escape.eu/escape-successfully-presented-ion-gnss-2018/
http://www.gnss-escape.eu/escape-successfully-presented-ion-gnss-2018/#respondFri, 28 Sep 2018 08:08:00 +0000http://www.gnss-escape.eu/?p=1302The ESCAPE paper, High Accuracy Positioning Engine with an Integrity Layer for Safety Autonomous Vehicles, was successfully presented on Sept. the 26th at the ION GNSS+ 2018 conference, in the Session C1 dedicated to Autonomous and Assisted Vehicle Applications. The paper had a very good reception by the audience: there were several questions and the […]

]]>The ESCAPE paper, High Accuracy Positioning Engine with an Integrity Layer for Safety Autonomous Vehicles, was successfully presented on Sept. the 26th at the ION GNSS+ 2018 conference, in the Session C1 dedicated to Autonomous and Assisted Vehicle Applications. The paper had a very good reception by the audience: there were several questions and the debate about the paper’s topics was intense.

In the following pictures you can see Enrique Carbonell from GMV delivering the presentation at the ION conference.

ION GNSS+ is considered the world’s largest technical meeting and showcase of GNSS technology, products and services. This year’s conference will bring together international leaders in GNSS and related positioning, navigation and timing fields to present new research, introduce new technologies, discuss current policy, demonstrate products and exchange ideas.

Autonomous vehicles are becoming a reality. One of the most critical functions of an autonomous vehicle is to be able to obtain an accurate and reliable estimation of the position and attitude of the vehicle. This is even more critical when operating without human supervision as for the SAE Level 4. This paper presents an innovative positioning engine capable of providing highly accurate real-time position and attitude estimations along with an integrity layer consisting of Protection Levels (PL), which bound the error of each estimated value with a certain confidence level.

The position and attitude estimated by the engine are based on the measurements provided by an intelligent off-the shelf automotive camera, a mass market dual-frequency GNSS receiver, low-cost inertial sensors, vehicle odometry and lane-level navigation maps. Highly accurate positions are computed by means of a real time PPP hybrid algorithm that employs dual-frequency GPS and Galileo measurements, inertial sensors and PPP corrections obtained from a web server when the connection is available through the cellular network. Another robust hybrid standard positioning algorithm runs in parallel allowing consistency checks. Last but not least, the automotive intelligent camera provides lateral distance measurements to the road lane marks which are employed to improve the accuracy by means of the lane-level accurate maps and also to provide an accurate position relative to the map.

The position and attitude values provided by the engine (including the position computed relative to the map) are complemented with the estimation of the associated integrity Protection Levels (PL), computed for multiple target integrity risks. The implementation of an integrity layer is crucial since in safety-critical applications it can be more important to know whether the information is reliable than the precise information itself. This integrity layer determines the degree of usability of the location and attitude estimations, which is used as part of autonomous vehicle architecture to ensure that the vehicle operates safely.

This engine has been developed within the ESCAPE project and is being integrated and tested with an autonomous car. ESCAPE (European Safety Critical Applications Positioning Engine) is a project co-funded under the Fundamental Elements program of the European GNSS Agency (GSA). It started on October 2016 with a duration of 3 years and with the main objective of developing a localisation system that provides the vehicle position and attitude estimations to be employed in safety critical applications like Autonomous Driving (AD) or Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS). The project is led by the Spanish company FICOSA in collaboration with partners from across Europe: Renault, IFSSTAR and the University of Tecnology of Compiègne from France, STMicroelectronics and Instituto Superiore Mario Boella from Italy and GMV from Spain.

ESCAPE enables a high-grade of data fusion (GNSS, inertial sensors, cameras and vehicle sensors) and the exploitation of several key technological differentiators such as the precise point positioning service (PPP), the potential use of the Galileo signal authentication and the provision of an integrity layer to assess the degree of trust one can associate to the position information provided by the device. Therefore, the three key pillars of the safety-oriented navigation technology provided by ESCAPE engine are:
– The smart exploitation of different localization data sources to provide a highly accurate navigation solution, including GPS and Galileo dual-frequency measurements, intelligent cameras providing lateral distance to road lane-marks, inertial measurement units, vehicle odometry, PPP corrections and high definition maps;
– The unique provision of real-time integrity protection levels associated to the location estimates, which express the “degree of usability” of the positioning information for safety-critical applications. The PLs associated to the positions computed relative to the map are fundamental for autonomous driving applications;
– The full integration of the ESCAPE engine into a vehicle with autonomous driving capabilities, and its test on several different reference paths and environmental conditions.

The innovative ESCAPE GNSS Engine (EGE) is close-to-market, its components are organized in a modular architecture and has safety at its core as its specification and design are based on the ISO 26262 recommendations. The EGE includes the following main components:
– GNSS receiver chipset: an automotive-grade multi-band and multi-constellation GNSS receiver.
– Inertial Measurements Unit (IMU)
– Communication peripherals needed for the communications of the board with the vehicle and with the cellular network.
– Main processor running the EGE algorithms:
• GNSS+Sensors Positioning&Integrity algorithm, where GNSS measurements are integrated with those provided by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) in order to provide a GNSS pose with integrity.
• Camera-based Positioning&Integrity algorithm. The accurate maps containing road lane-marks along with the intelligent camera measurements allow a second positioning service with accuracies that can reach a few centimeters in the cross direction, thus complementing and enhancing the positions provided by the GNSS+Sensors Positioning&Integrity algorithm.

The paper includes a description of the engine architecture and the design of the algorithms along with the algorithm performance results obtained with real data under different environments (performances are assessed in three different operating conditions associated to open-sky, sub-urban and deep urban environments).